Jhonattan Vegas maintained his position atop the leaderboard after a dramatic second round at Quail Hollow, despite a costly mistake on the 18th hole. The course was muggy, but Vegas navigated the back nine with ease, finishing 10-under par before a double bogey on 18 left him with an even-par 70 for the day.
Leaderboard Highlights
- Total Score: Vegas’s total score stands at 8-under 134, giving him a two-shot lead over Matthieu Pavon of France.
- Matthieu Pavon: Shot a stunning 65 to move into contention.
- Other Contenders: Former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick and Si Woo Kim are also within striking distance.
Notable Moments
- Si Woo Kim: Made headlines earlier in the tournament with an ace on the longest par-3 hole in major history, although there was controversy surrounding it.
- Xander Schauffele: The defending champion had a stressful afternoon just to make the cut, extending his record streak to 64 consecutive cuts without missing one. This marks the longest active streak since Jack Nicklaus’s streak ended in ’82-’83.
Player Performances
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Rory McIlroy: Struggled off the tee, hitting only ten out of twenty-eight fairways over two rounds due to issues with his driver under USGA regulations. McIlroy missed several birdie chances inside five feet and settled for pars from holes three through seventeen. He managed to stay alive on hole eighteen, two-putting from thirty-five feet after hooking his drive into thick grass, despite making a bogey there as well.
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Jordan Spieth: Rallied with a score of 68 but fell short by one stroke.
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Phil Mickelson: Struggled throughout much of Thursday’s second round, finishing with a score of 72 despite posting seven birdies overall.
The PGA Championship will continue Friday morning at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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